Drawer for refrigerated locker system



Dec. 31, 1940, 42,2?6362 W. MOK. BAIRD DRAWER FOR REFRIGERATED LOCKER SYSTEM Filed Oct. 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheei'I 1 I 5:9.'"t'l Y i l I Dec. 31, 1940. w. Mex. BAIRD DRAWER FOR REFRIGERATED LOCKER lSYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001'.. 4, 1939 Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAWER FOR, REFBIGERATED LO v SYSTEM William McKinley Baird, Chicago, Ill. Y Application October 4, 1939,'Serial No. 297,795

-2 Claims.

from awarm temperature to a cold one. There was also great dangerA by his entrance of contamination of not only his property but of all the others.

In my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 252,973 which matured into Patent No. 2,198,239, issued Apr. 23, '1940, I submitted. a solution of these problems in a'central refrigerated locker system for the freezing and storage of meat and other perishable commodities and biologicals for use by the owners of the`lock'ers. I provided a refrigerated locker system so that the users do not have to enter the system itself but may reach their individual lockers or drawers in a normal temperature and from the outside of the system. In this way the user is not only protected against sudden and severe changes in temperature but the products themselves are safe from contamination by the entry therein of foreign matter In my co-pending application. Serial `No. 267,472 I submitted drawer construction for my refrigerated locker system.

In the present application I have created an.

improved drawer, construction in which an air space is provided between the door lof the individual locker and its container, the container being a basket in the front and a box in the rear.v

My new construction also has a sealing means for preventing the escape of cold air when the locker is opened andfthe container is in extended position. My construction also vincludes an improved means for the movement of the drawer. My drawers*forrefrigerated locker system have such other'objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings apreferred form` df my invention yet I Wish it understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without Adeparting from the `'spirit of lmy invention."v a

Referring to the drawing l is a side elevation of my drawer in. closed position within the refrigerating plant; Fig'. 2 isga--top plan view of thedrawer in closed position with the drawer front in section and showing thelocking'means; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the drawer and tracks on line 3-3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the rollers attached tothe container; Fig. 5-is a detailed view of a modified form of my construction with the rollers as shown on the track;

Y Fig. 6 is a modiiied form of iront door plate in sheet metal; Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view of the gasket sealing member; Fig. 8 is a detailed perspective view of my drawer.

The embodiment selected to illustrate my invention discloses a refrigerated locker system I having one or more units, each unit housing a plurality of lockers I2.` My unit may be cooled or refrigerated by suitable connections with any well known refrigeration means. I'he unit may receive the refrigeration by cold air circulated through ducts from alcentral air cooling unit by means of a fan or blower, wasting such air or returning it to the central air cooling unit as shown in my Patent No. 2,198,239. f Y

The construction in the'unit for the purposes of this invention has a pair of spaced vertical angle iron members Il connected by top and bottom` angle straps I8. Side angle irons 68 extend inwardly from the vertical'members 41 and are spaced .by horizontal connectingv angle iron 50. My drawer I has an angle iron framework to f `which the container 52 is attached with a solid bottom pan portion 53 with a front upturned portion 5,4, and side portions 55 having a plurality of perforations 56 inv the frontV three quarters of their extent; said side portions being unperforated to the closed rear portion 51. The container is thus basket in the forward part and box in the rear portion. The upturned portion 5I is spaced from the iront of the insulated drawer front vi'oli so as to leave an air space 59 therebetween. The drawer front 58 has suitable handle lill and `locking means 5I. Said drawer front may be wood or steel.

A gasket 62 of ilexlble material' such as rubber or the like encircl'es the container52 at the three quarter portion where the perforations cease. The vgasket 62 is positioned by means of a plurality of spaced -lugs 63 iitted into openings 54 in the side portions 55, the top portion and the bottom pan 53.? When the drawer is opened and is in extendedposition the gasket 62 seals the opening and prevents the escape of cold air, thus saving refrigeration and maintaining the cold temperature in the rear box portion of the container. 0 a, To insure a smooth sliding operation free from torque and a construction havinga 'fair distribution of dead weight, a slotted rectangulr tube 65 is secured to top land bottom angle irons 66 of the framework of the drawer, in which a plurality of spaced rollers or ball bearings B1 are encased as shown in Fig. 4. The angle tracks 68 are positioned so as to contact the rollers 61 and permit the rollers to move on the same.

In Fig. 5 I show a modified form of my sliding mechanism by having the rollers 61 attached to theangle irons 68 rather than the drawer, with an extension 69 attached to the drawer for contacting the rollers for movement.

In the modified form of my drawer front 58 in Fig. 6, vI show the entire drawer front as made of sheet metal, with the outer portion of the drawer front crimped to the side portions.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A drawer for a refrigerated locker system comprising a framework, a solid `bottom pan, a solid back, and sides, all attached to said framework, said sides having perforations extending substantially to three-quarters -of the length of the' drawer so as to `form a basket in the front portion of the drawer, said sides `being imperforate from the end of the perforated portion to their rear ends, a. solid top extending from Vthe solid back forwardly to substantially one-quarter of the length of the drawer, said imperforate sides forming with the solid top, back and pan a box in the rear portion of the drawer.

2. A drawer for a refrigerated locker system comprising a framework, a front attached to said framework, a container having a solid bottom pan, a solid back, an uptumed front and sides, all attached to said framework, said sides having perforations extending substantially to three-quarters of the length of the container so as to form a basket in the front portion of the container, said sides being imperforate from the end of the perforated portion to their rear ends, a solid top extending from the solid back forwardly to substantially onequarter of` the length of the container, said imperforate sides forming with the solid top, back and pan a box inthe rear portionof the container, the

front portion of said container attached to saidv WILLIAM Bamm, 

